Refrigeration apparatus



June 1931. v o. l. PRICE 1,807,872

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 05502226 Z Price,

5% &%d

ATTORN EY June 2, 1931. O PRICE 1,807,872

REFRI'GERATION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 05 502' 11 e I. 3 ice ATTORNEY June 2, 1931.

O. 1. PRICE REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 ENVENTOR ATTORNEY June 2, 1931.

O. I. PRICE.

- REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR 9s 502*?26 1 Pr nce,

BY f

ATTORNEY June 2, 1931. 1, PRICE 1,807,872

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct. 20, 1925 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY 0. l. PRICE June 2, 1931.

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Original Filed Oct.

6 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR 06502129 I B z ca,

ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES LSWNZ PATENT OFFICE OSBORNE I. PRICE, OF FREDERICK, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN S. MCCARTHY, OF WEEHAWKEN, NEW JERSEY REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Original application filed October 20, 1925, Serial No. 24,599. Divided and this application filed January This application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 24,599, filed April 20, .1925, for refrigerating apparatus.

My invention relates broadly to refrigeration machines, and more particularly to a simplified construction of refrigeration ap paratus having parts arranged for manufacturing inexpensively on a quantity production basis.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an apparatus for a refrigeration system which may be constructed in different capacities for household-anddomestic use, or for commercial refrigeration systems of larger size, the general arrangement of parts for the various capacity machines varying for the installation of different capacity.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of refrigeration apparatus which is particularly adapted for domestic use by reason of its small physical dimensions, its constant operation over long periods of time at low maintenance expense, and its freedom from disagreeable and 0bnoxious gases which heretofore have been a source of danger by the injury of food products in domestic systems.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction of refrigeration apparatus in which all the moving parts are disposed within separate containers joined to form housings for the apparatus which may be conveniently mounted with respect to the usual ice box in the home and connected with cooling means within the ice box, for maintaining the food stuffs at a constant cold temperature.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of refrigeration apparatus where the danger of leakage of the refrigerant is eliminated by dispensing with conventional stufling box connections or packing between the high and low pressure portions of the apparatus and providing continuous passages interconnecting the several portions in such manner that the passage of the refrigerant is constantly confined.

Another object of my invention is to provide a construction of refrigeration apparatus wherein the parts may be readily cast to Serial No. 509,232.

form a rugged unit including a low pressure compartment which comprises the housing of the driving motor, and a high pressure compartment in which is situated a pump or compressing mechanism driven by the said motor with the parts so arranged that leakage of the refrigerant between the different portions of the apparatus is substantially eliminated.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a construction of self-lubricating refrigeration apparatus whereby lubricant is forced through the apparatus in a continuous cycle during the running period, by the operation of the moving parts.

My invention further resides in the construction and assembly of a compressor" and driver for refrigeration systems arranged to occupy a relatively small physical area and having high and low pressure compartments with a driving mechanism forming part of one of the compartments and a compressing mechanism in the other of the compartments, the compressing mechanism being arranged to deliver the refrigerant under pressure into the last mentioned compartment with means for cooling the refrigerant and delivering the same to the freezing system.

The construction of the apparatus of my invention will be more clearl understood from the specification hereinafter following by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a part of the refrigeration system and the relative arrangement therein of the refrigeration apparatus of my inven tion;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view illustrating that portion of the system which is disposed within the cooling chamber in proximity to a storage chamber where products are to be maintained at a constant low temperature;

Fig. 3 is a. cross-sectional view taken through the rotary driving and compressing apparatus used in the refrigeration system;

Fig. 4: is a cross-sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3 through the rotary driving apparatus which forms the upper compartment of the refrigeration apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 5-5 through the lower compartment of the refrigeration apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3; I

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 3 through one of the stages of the compressing mechanism employed in the refrigeration system;

Fig. 7 is a detailed cross-sectional view illustrating the arrangement of the intake and outlet ports in the driving apparatus;

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view through the exhaust port taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a view showing an air cooled machine constructed in accordance with my invention; and

Fig. 10 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the machine shown in Fig. 9 showing details thereof.

Referring to the drawings in detail the refrigeration apparatuscomprises a unit designated by reference character 1 which may be located in any convenient place with reference to a cabinet refrigerator 2. The refrigeration apparatus includes a driving mechanism and a compressing mechanism. The driving apparatus forms in itself a compartment designated by reference character 3, while the compressing mechanism is disposed withina portion of a condenser compartment formed by the closure member 1 formed on the upper and lower sides of a central main supporting frame 20. The refrigeration apparatus may be either water cooled or air cooled but in Fig. 1, I have shown the system through a connection 5 leading to a condenser shown more clearly in Fig. 3 by reference character 8, the cooling water passing from the condenser coils 8 and into connection 9 from which it is led to water jacket 10 which surrounds the compartment 3 formed by the driving apparatus. The waste water is delivered through connection 11. A pipe line 12 conducts the refrigerant through the upper cover or closure, member 14 of the compartment 3 formed by the driving mechanism. Liquid refrigerant is delivered by the refrigeration apparatus to a pipe line 15 as will be more fully hereinafter described to the cooling system mounted within the refrigerator 2.- Liquid refrigerant is maintained at a predetermined level in tank 16 by any suitable float valve control mechanism 17 and is supplied through a pipe line 18 to the evap orator cooling system or boiler 19. Heat is absorbed by the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator absorber or cooling tank 19 from food products or other contents within the chest of the refrigerator 2 and the refrigerant returned as a gas through pipe line 12 to the refrigeration apparatus. All pipe line connections in the apparatus are well packed as indicated at 5a, 9a, 97), 11a and 12a to insure against leakage.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3 of the drawin s it will be observed that conventional stu ng boxes as heretofore required in refrigeration machines, have been eliminated in .my design of refrigeration apparatus together with all the inherent disadvantages of such stuffing boxes. In eliminating the stufling boxes from the refrigeration apparatus I provide a central main supporting frame or casting 20 formed along a longitudinally extending vertical axis and having an upper bell which forms with the field and armature of the motor comprising the driving mechanism, a gas tight compartment on the upper side of the main supporting frame closed by the cover 14 which is suita bly secured or sealed against the upper part of compartment 3 with a suitable gasket 23 between the annular flanges 21 and 22. The driving mechanism forms a part of the compartment inasmuch as the armature 24 and field 25 are subjected at all times to the gaseous refrigerant which may pass from the line 12 through the space intermediate the armature and the field and through the space between the frame of the driving mechanism and the inside walls of the compartment as provided by the inwardly directed longitudinal extending ribs 26. The ribs 26 center the field of the motor within the compartment. By this arrangement the gaseous refrigerant passes from the line 12 in a downward direction through the annular gap 27' and the ports 28. y

The casting 20 is provided with a downwardly extending end bell 29. The extended casting 29 has the compressing mechanism mounted on the lower end thereof. The compressing mechanism may consist of one or more stages. I have illustrated a compressor having a pair of compressor members 30 and 31 actuated by the extended shaft 32 which is directly connected with the armature 24 of the driving mechanism. The shaft 32 carries eccentrics 33 and 34: disposed at 180 degrees with respect to each other and 11 mounted within each of the compressor members 30 and 31 in such manner that upon rotation of the extended shaft 32 an osoillatory or partially reciprocal motion is imparted to the compressor members 30 and 31.

The compressor members 30 and 31 are mounted within chambers 35 and 36 spaced by the separator 37. The chamber 35 is mounted directly-adjacent the end of the bell 29 While the lower extremity of chamber 36 l is closed by the end plate 38.

. The long extended casting which comprises the bell 29 serves as means for securing an oil seal for separating the high and low pressure areas of the refrigeration apparatus. The extended shaft 32 is journaled in bearings 39 and 40 at opposite ends of the extended casting 29. There is a slight clearance along the entire length of the shaft 32 between the walls of the extended bore 41 in the casting 29, which allows oil or lubricant to pass along the shaft 32 providing both automatic lubrication for the refrigeration apparatus and establishing an oil seal or an automatic stufiing box between the high and low pressure sides of the system as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. The extended casting'29 is formed with a web portion 42 (Fig, 5.) interconnecting the bore portion 41 in which shaft 32 is journaled and a portion 43 in which is integrally cast the extended ports 44 and 45 being the suction from the motor compartment and the discharge to the condenser compartment respectively. By the provision of the integrally cast suction and discharge passages in the casting 29 I eliminate the many disadvantages accruing from the use of pipe lines and the packed joints in the suction and discharge passages which have heretofore been necessary in refrigeration apparatus. The suction passage 44 leads to each of the compression chambers 35 and 36 for conducting gaseous refrigerant through the entrances 46 and 47 shown more clearly in Fig. 7 to the compressor members 30 and 31. The compressor members 30 and 31 by virtue of the motion imparted to them by rotation of the eccentrics 33 and 34 on the shaft 32 are moved upon members 48 which rock in the side walls of the chambers 35 and 36 as represented at 49. As shown more clearly in Fig. 6 the members 48 comprise vanes having a portion which extends into a slot 50 formed in the compressor members. The compressor members 30 and 31 while free to oscillate and to have partial rotation or reciprocal motion do not rotate but serve to compress the gaseous refrigerant to a pressure corresponding to the temperature of liquefaction.

\Vith my compressor in operation I have successfully obtained and maintained pressures equal to 175 pounds gauge per square inch, equivalent to 190 pounds absolute pressure without reaching the limits of the compressing mechanism. While these pressures were being maintained I secured on the suction side a vacuum pressure corresponding,

approximately to 28 inches of mercury. In each of the chambers 35 and 36 I provide a spring-pressed valve 51 interposed in each of the discharge ports 54 and 53 which oper ate to close the passages 54 and 53 intermediate the compression strokes of the compressor members 30 and 31. It will be observed that the ports in each of the chambers 35 and 36 and separator plate 37 are aligned with the suction and discharge ports in the casting 29. The refrigerant compressed to a pressure equivalent to liquefaction is conducted along the port or passage 45 and discharged into the compartment 4 at a point adjacent the lower wall of the low pressure compartment as represented by the discharge pipe 55. Surrounding the downwardly extending casting 29 and the compressing mechanism I provide a cylindrical screen 56 of relatively fine mesh which serves to separate oil or lubricant from the refrigerant discharged at 55. It will be noted that the refrigerant is discharged at a point within the screen so that oil or lubricant exhausted by the compressor will be caught in a film on this screen where it trickles down the sides of the screen to the oil level 57 within the container 4. In order to insure against the passage of oil or lubricant into the refrigeration system I place an additional screen 59 about the end of the gravity oil separator .60 which extends into the compartment 4. It will be observed that the inwardly projecting end of the gravity oil separator 60 is disposed at an angle 61 with respect to the vertical in such manner that oil which is caught on the screen 59 tends to trickle off and discharge into the oil reservoir in the lower part of the compartment 4. The screen 56 is suitably apertured about the base thereof as represented at 62 to permit the passage of oil freely along the bottom of the compartment 4. This arrangement enables me to provide automatic and self-lubrication for the refrigeration apparatus. The compartment 4 is under high pressure during the operation of the refrigeration apparatus. The motor housing is in a condition of low pressure. There is a normal tendency, therefore, for the pressure in compartment 4 to exert such effect upon lubricant in the lower part of compartment 4 that the lubricant is forced upwardly through apertured member 63 and along the sleeve bearing 41 progressively feeding into the low pressure motor housing. Inthis manner both bearings 39 and 40 are continuously lubricated. The lubricant which is forced into the low pressure motor housing returns along the suction passageway 44 and automatically lubricates the compressor mechanism in its entirety. As heretofore explained, oil which may be discharged by the compressing mechanism is not carried along with the refrigerant but is extracted therefrom by the screening means 56, 59 and the gravity oil separator 60. The compartment 4 is continuously cooled by means of the cooling coils 8 and the refrigerant liquefied. The refrigerant seeks a level approximately as represented at line 5-5 in Fig. 3. The refrigerant is forced undercpressure through the gravity oil separator 60 wherein the tendency of any oil whichmay by chance have been carried along with the refrigerant is to return to the lower part of compartment 4.

As heretofore explained the refrigerant in the form of a liquid passes along the supply line 15 to be usefully employed for the eX- under conditions of use over extended periods of time. In the event that liquid refrigerant should be returned through the suction line 12, the refrigerant will be subjected to the mild temperature or heat of the motor armature 2st which will at once convert the liquid refrigerant into a gas and facilitate the elimination of liquid refrigerant from the compressing mechanism. The expansion of the liquid refrigerant into a gas in direct contact with the motor winding further reduces the temperatures at which the motor opcrates.

Connections for the driving motor are brought out through leads 64 through any convenient part of the frame of the apparatus. I have shown terminal posts 65 provided for connectingthe driving motor to the power supply system. While I have not illustrated any electrical control circuits for the driving mechanism I desire that it be understood that any suitable method of automatic control and regulation of the motor circuit and also the water supply system may be employed. That is to say, the motor may be operated and water supplied to the cooling system only during periods that temperature conditions actually demand the supply of refrigerant to the cooling or expansion tank 19.

I have illustrated the water cooled refrigoration system in the drawing, but it will be understood that my inventlon is equally applicable to an air cooled system as represented in Figs. 9 and 10. In this construction the upper bell 3 is ribbed as represented at 65. The lower casing i encloses the depending casting 29. The discharge port instead of exhausting at a point directly within the chamber 4 is connected to an external cooling coil 66 disposed about the outside walls of the chamber 4, from which coil its exhausts to the interior of the chamber 4 at a point represented at 67.

The gaseous or liquefied refrigerant is conducted through the gravity oil separator as heretofore explained. Screen 56 may be omitted but preferably is retained to form a quiescent oil pocket around apertured member 63. The refrigerant passes through an auxiliary coil 68 before reaching the line 15. The purpose of the addition of the auxiliary coil is to more fully insure the cooling or liquefaction of the refrigerant by the cooling action of air or otherwise.

The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor as heretofore described in the water cooled modification. The compressed refrigerant leaves through the discharge 45 directly to an external cooling coil 66 where the refrigerant is cooled or condensed and discharged into the interior chamber at at 67. The refrigerant and the lubricant separate in the chamber 4 so that the lubricant may be re-circulated through the moving parts of the compressor unit, the lubricant passing through the apertured member 63 to these moving parts. The refrigerant passes through the gravity oil separator 60 to the auxiliary coil 68 where the refrigerant is further cooled or condensed and from which it is discharged through the line 15 to the tank 16 in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 1, from whence the refrigerant passes through the float control valve 17 through the pipe line 18 to the evaporator cooling system or boiler 19. From thence the evaporated refrigerant returns to the unit through the pipe line 12.

The fan for aiding in the cooling action may be driven by a motor separate from that which is sealed inside of the unit 1.

It will be observed that the lubricant is forced in a continuous cycle in a direction up to shaft 32, thence down the suction line and finally in spray with the refrigerant under pressure. As heretofore explained this method of lubrication insures long lifeto the apparatus. It will be observed that the compressor is normally submerged or partially submerged in the lubricant and due to the pressure in the condensing chamber there is a constant tendency for the lubricant to be forced upwardly around shaft 32. Furthermore due to the fact that high pressure exists about the compressing mechanism, there is no tendency for outward leakage to take place from the compressor and gaskets therefore become unnecessary. The advantages of passing the refrigerant through the moving parts of the driving mechanism have already been pointed out. It will be understood that the windings for the motor are carefully protected to resist chemical action of the refrigerant. The insulation on the conductors forming the motor windings is impregnated with suitable insulation material and the windings may be soaked in bakelite or other chemical and electrical resistant material. I have successively operated .motor over long periodsin the.presence of 'the refrigeration gases without detriment to ti'nuously lubricated which would not be 1105- sible in the event that a top bearing was provided.

\Vhile I have described my invention in certain particular embodiments, I desire that i it be understood that modifications may be made and that I intend no limitations upon the invention other than those imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerating apparatus the combination of a drivingmechanism, a compressing mechanism actuated by said driving mechanism, a casing for said compressing mechanism, a cooling coil outside of said casing for receiving compressed medium from the compressing mechanism, a connection from the cooling coil to said casing for discharging cooled compressed medium from said coil into said casing, and discharge means for medium compressed bysaid compressing mechanism and discharged into said casing from said cooling coil. 1

2. In a refrigerating apparatus the combination of a driving mechanism, a compressing mechanism actuated by said driving mechanism, a casing for said compressing mechanism, a cooling coil outside of said casing for receiving compressed medium from the compressing mechanism, a connection from the cooling coil to said casing for discharging cooled compressed medium from said coil into said casing, discharge means for medium compressed by said compressing mechanism and discharged into said casing from said cooling coil, said casing having a lubricant chamber to which lubricant separated from the compressed medium in said casing is discharged, and a connection from said lubricant chamber to said compressing mechanism.

3. In a refrigerating apparatus the combination of a driving mechanism, a compressing mechanism actuated by said driving mechanism, a casing for said driving mechanism and compressing mechanism, a cooling coil outside of said casing connected to receive compressed medium from the compressing mechanism, a connection from the cooling coil to said casing for discharging cooled compressed medium from said coil into said casing, and discharge means for medium compressed by said compressing mcchanism and discharged into said casing from said cooling coil.

4:. In a refrigerating apparatus the cornbination of a driving mechanism a compressing mechanism actuated by said driving mechanism, a casing for said driving mechanism and compressing mechanism, a coolingcoil outside of said casing connected to receive compressed medium from the com pressing mechanism, a connection from the cooling coil to said casing for discharging cooled compressed medium from said coil into said casing, discharge means for medum charged, and a connection from said lubri cant chamber to said compressing mechanism.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

OSBORNE 1. PRICE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,807,872. Granted June 2, 1931, to

OSBORNE I. PRICE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the heading to the printed specification and to the drawings, original application date, for "October 20, 1925" read April 20, 1925; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of February, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

